Monthly Archives: May 2015

G-Force’s Tips to Keeping Your Home Cooler This Summer

Summer has (un)officially kicked off, meaning the hot humid air is starting to creep into the Omaha area. But that doesn’t mean you can’t keep it from creeping into your home. While we are glad to say so long to winter’s bite, once our homes start heating up, things get uncomfortable, and fast. If you follow Getzschman Heating & Cooling’s four steps to keep warm air from creeping into your home this season, you’ll be much happier with the comfort level of your home, and your energy bills.

Use Your Windows

Turn off your AC system and open your windows when the air cools down at night. In the morning, close the windows and blinds to capture the cool night air inside, and to keep the sun’s warm rays from heating up your home throughout the rest of the day.

Add light colored opaque window coverings on your windows to decrease heat gain through your windows, as well as to reflect the sun’s rays.

Use Your Thermostat Effectively

Try and keep your thermostat set as high as you’re comfortable with during the summer months. For the highest amount of savings, keep the difference between the indoor and outdoor temperatures as close as you can stand.

Use your programmable thermostat to your advantage. You can create different settings for different parts of the day. Keep your house warmer than usual when you are away, and lower the thermostat setting back to a more comfortable level only when you are at home and need the cooler air.

Don’t do this; turn the dial on your thermostat to an extremely cool temperature in hopes that it will cool your home more quickly. It won’t, but it will make your air conditioner work harder than it needs to, costing you more dollars.

Keep Your AC System Efficient

Simple steps, like changing dirty air filters regularly, can help. Filthy filters make it harder for your system to distribute air, meaning it has to use more energy (and money) to do its job of keeping you comfortable.

Schedule regular maintenance, like air conditioner tune-ups, before the sweltering summer comes to its peak. It will keep your system healthy and will reduce the chance of breakdowns.

Keep heat emitting lights or other appliances away from your thermostat. They can confuse your system into thinking it’s warmer than it actually is in your home.

Minimize Heat Factors

Use common sense when it’s really hot outside. Avoid using the oven or taking long hot showers.

Replace flourescent light bulbs with LED and energy efficient alternative bulbs. These emit less heat, and save you money on your bills. Plus they last a lot longer!

Stay clear of activities that generate heat. Things like running a computer, burning open flames, running a dishwasher or clothes washer or dryer, and using hot devices such as curling irons or hair dryers all create enough heat to offset your AC system.

Call Getzschman Heating & Cooling this spring and summer to help you keep the heat from creeping in. We handle all air conditioner repairs in Omaha homes, and have great maintenance plans. Call us at (402) 721-6301 today.

Getzschman’s Air Conditioning Guide for Dummies

You don’t need to be a certified technician to understand how an air conditioner works. Knowing a little bit about the system that works so hard to keep you comfortable all summer can actually be a huge perk that can help you when you’re in a pinch. Let’s face it, air conditioners like to break down at what always seems like the most inconvenient time. Understanding how your system works can help you assess what your problem might be, as well as help you avoid future issues. So, here’s Getzschman’s Air Conditioning Guide for Dummies.

Step-By-Step through Your AC System

You air conditioner works in a comparable way to a refrigerator. It transfers heat from the inside of your home to the outside. This informational diagram by Energy.gov gives a simpler look at its components and how they interact to keep you more comfortable. The main component that makes this all possible is refrigerant. This liquid is unique because it is able to change from a liquid to a gas quickly at low temperatures as it is pumped through your system. This is important because when a liquid becomes a gas it absorbs heat, and when a gas is compressed into a liquid it releases heat.

Let’s start in the evaporator part of your unit inside your home. Here your blower circulates air from your home. That air is pushed across cooled coils filled with cold liquid refrigerant. As the warm air inside your evaporator passes across the cooled coils, it is cooled as the refrigerant inside the coils removes the heat and humidity by absorbing it from the air. This newly cooled air is then blown back into your home.

As the refrigerant continues to move through the evaporator coils, it has now warmed up and evaporated into a gas. The gas refrigerant then moves into the outside part of your unit in the compressor. Here it is compressed into a high pressure hot gas. The gas then travels through the condenser coils, where your condenser fan blows air over the condenser coils, removing heat from the gas refrigerant. As that heat is removed from the refrigerant, it is condensed back into a cool liquid state and the process starts all over again. This process continues again and again until your home reaches the cooling temperature you want, as programmed and sensed by your thermostat setting.

How to Use This Newfound Knowledge

If there’s one thing that you take away from this guide, it should be that refrigerant is VERY important. If there is a leak in your condenser or evaporator coils it could spell disaster for your system. Low refrigerant levels are likely a signal that your system has a leak. And refilling refrigerant is just a temporary fix. Refrigerant levels should remain constant in your system for it to work efficiently and effectively.

Another big takeaway is knowing to keep all of your coils clean and free of debris so that they can effectively cool the air being pushed into your home.

And make sure you keep your vents and outside AC unit clear of any obstructions.

Lastly, make sure your thermostat has working batteries and has an accurate reading. It is what measures the temperature in your home and signals to your AC system how hard it should be working.
The best way to keep your system healthy is to call in the professionals at Getzschman Heating & Cooling for regular maintenance on your Omaha home’s air conditioner. We have a thorough checklist that covers all the major components of your system. It will leave your air conditioner refreshed and ready to go. Call us at (402) 554-1110 for all your air conditioning needs.